Razor blade sharpener



Aug. 1 1933. H. BLAU RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Filed Dec. 18, 1931 2 heets-Sheet l 1 By A llorney 8; 9 H. BLAU 3,92%34? RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Filed Dec. 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor fimaorizw A ltomey Pate'nted Aug. 1, 1933 UNITED STATES RAZOR BLADE SHARPENEE,

Harry Blau, New York, N. Y.

-Application December 18, 1931 Serial No. 581,954

1 Claim. (01. 51-153.)

This invention relates to improvements in razor. blade Sharpeners.

One of the features of the invention resides in a razor blade sharpening device by which a 5 safety razor blade of the single or double edge type may be thoroughly sharpened by honing and stropping the edge by the use of the same device and without removing the blade therefrom.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a blade sharpening device by which opposite sides of the cutting edge of a blade may be al-' ternately sharpened during the operation of the device to assure a straight and keen edge.

A further object is the provision of a razor blade sharpener which is simple and inexpensive of construction, easy to operate, and efficient for the purpose intended.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the :certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in'the appended claim, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved razor blade sharpener set for honing the edge of a blade.

Figure 2 is a similar View but showing the device in use as a razor blade stropper.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal view on the line 33 of Figure 1. V

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3. I V

Figure 5 is a detail sectional elevational view of the blade holder and its support.

Figure 6 is a collective perspective view of the blade holder with parts in openpositicn, and the blade separated therefrom.

acters, the numeral 10 designates a hollow metal rectangular shaped base or casing, the top wall of which is provided with an opening 11 eX-' tending the length thereof. Fixedly supported in the open top of said casing 10 is a honing element 12 in the nature of a slab orfiat stone of the type commonly used in the sharpening of razors and like implements. The side edges of the honing element 11 terminates short of the longitudinal edges of the opening 11 to provide slots 13-13 to be presently explained. The top of the honing slab 12 is substantially fiush with the top of the casing 10, while the under side of the slab is disposed in spaced relation Referring to the drawings by reference char;

with respect to the bottom wall of the said casing. v

Fixed to one end wall of the casing lil' and extending within the said casing is an eye '14, while 'a headed stud 15 extends, exteriorly of the said end wall for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. Fixed to the eye 14 is one end of a flexible strap 16, which strap extends lengthwise ofpthe casing and passes'out through a slot or opening 17 in the opposite end wall, and which strap is held taut by passing a screw or other like fastening element 18 through the slab holder plate, strap 16 and through the sidewalls 19 formed integral with the end wall and between which the strap passes, and which threads By connecting the end of the strap with the stud 15, the same may be held in an inoperative position beneath the casing, or brought over the slab 12 to an operative position when desired I to strop the blade after a honing operation; I

7 Slidably mounted lengthwiseof the casing is a carriage 20 which includes spaced parallel side plates 21 which are disposed in the slots 13 for longitudinal movements therein. Journaled in the side plates 21 is a roller 22 which rests upon the upper faceof the strap 16 for frictional contact therewith, while fixed to one end of the roller is a gear '23. A bridge piece 24 connects the side plates 21 and-is disposed on a plane beneath the strap 16, the side edges of .the bridge piece being provided with upstanding presser fingers 25 which bear against the underside of the strap 16 so as to assure frictional contact between the roller 22 and the upper face of the said strap. The carriage 20 also includes a manipulating part 26 which may be grasped by the fingers of the hand of an operator in order to impart reciprocation to the carriage for a purpose to be presently set forth.

The side plates 21 are provided with up-- standing gears 27 which are disposed above the plane of the top of the casing and which serve as bearings for a bar 28. One end of the bar 28 is provided with a stub shaft 29 to which a gear 30 is fixedly mounted and which gear is in constant mesh with the gear 23 hereinbefore mentioned. The opposite end of the bar 28 is v provided with a sleeve like trunnion 31 which is internally screw threaded for threadedly receiving a screw 32, the free end of the shank being pointed as at 33 and movable into a recess 34 in the bar 28.

The bar 28 is adapted to detachably receive a blade holder 35 which in the present instance consists of a flat plate 36 having openings 37 which receive the headed ends of headed studs 38 mounted in the bar 28. For securing the holder 35 in position upon the bar, I provide a locking tongue 39 hinged to one side of the plate 36 as at 40 and which swings over the plate 36 so that the heads of-the studs 38 enter openings 41 in the said tongue 39. The free end of the tongue is provided with a spring lip 42 which is disposed within the recess 34 when the tongue is swung to locking position, it being understood that the screw 32 has been moved outward to permit the lip 42 to enter the recess 34. After the tongue has been swung to looking position, the screw 32 is turned to cause the pointedend 33 to engage the lip 42 as best seen in Figure 4 of the drawings. For the purpose of receiving and holding a safety razor blade 43 of the double edge type having positioning openings 44 therein, I provide positioning studs 45 on the plate 36. After the blade has been positioned upon the holder, a flat locking bar 46 which is hinged to one side of the plate 36 as at 4'? is swung down over the blade and is also provided with openings 48 for receiving the po sitioning studs or pins 45. When in looking potion, the plate or bar 46 is held by a pivoted catch 49 mounted on the under side of the plate 36, but which is provided with a portion adapted to overlie the bar or plate 46.

Assume that a razor blade is inserted in the holder 35 and it is desired to sharpen the same. The free end of the strap 16 is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, that is it lies against the under side of the casing. By imparting a longitudinal sliding movement to the carriage 20, the roller 22 will cause the blade holder to turn to a position wherein the edge of the blade contacts with the honing element 12 and trails with respect to the direction of movement of the carriage. By reason of the fact that the friction roller constantly engages the strap 16, the blade will remain pressed against the honing element 12 for the full length of the stroke, but when reversing the sliding movement of the carriage, the blade holder is swung over to a reverse position. Thus it will be seen that reciprocationof the carriage 20 will cause opposite sides of the cutting edge of the blade to be brought into sharpening engagement with the honing element 12, and a sufficient number of actuations may be given the carriage as is necessary to sharpen the edge of the blade.

After the honing operation and in order to obtain a keen edge, the strap 16 is disconnected from the stud 15 and is inserted beneath the manipulating member 20 of the carriage and the blade holder 35 so as to overlie the honing element 12. The free end of the strap is then again connected with the headed stud 15 so that the same may be held in a taut condition. With the strap so positioned, reciprocation may again be imparted to the carriage 20 which causes opposite edge of the blade to be brought into contact with the strap 16 which constitutes a stropping of the edge.

After one edge of a double edge blade has been sharpened, the blade may be reversed and a similar operation performed thereon.

By detachably supporting the blade holder 35 upon the bar 23, it is possible to substitute a different type of holder for the one shown in order to accommodate other types of blades such as that type known as a single edge blade wherein no. openings are provided such as that included in the blade of the double edged type.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a razor blade sharpener in which the sharpening is performed by a honing operation, and thence by a stropping operation, the two operations being performed by the same device, it requiring merely a repositioning of the free end of the straps 16 to perform this function.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:--

A razor blade sharpening device comprising a rectangular casing, a honing element mounted at the top of said casing, a carriage slidable lengthwise of said casing, a blade holder pivot ally mounted in said carriage and disposed above said honing element, a flexible strop fixed with-- in said casing at one end thereof and having its other end extended exteriorly of said casing and adapted to be extended over either the bottom of the casing or the top of the casing between said honing eleinent and blade holder, means for holding said strop taut, a roller journalled in said carriage and disposed in frictional contact withone side of that portion of the strop housed within said casing, and means for transmitting reverse turning movement from said roller to said pivoted blade holder upon reciprocation of said carriage.

HARRY BLAU. 

